God doesn’t want to share you with
ANYTHING else. He wants all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength. God wants us to
CHOOSE Him, to look to Him.
God wants the 1st place position in our hearts and lives.
God gives us this choice.
He doesn’t force our devotion, but asks us to choose, as in Joshua 24:15: “Now fear the Lord and serve Him with ALL faithfulness. (Not partial, not some, but ALL faithfulness) Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped and serve the Lord. But, if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve.”
God gives us this choice- are we going to live for Him or for ourselves? Are we going to serve God with all faithfulness or will we serve other gods? Are we going to let idols creep into that 1st place position in our hearts?
What is an idol?”
An idol is simply anything we place in that 1st place position over God. It’s what we give our passion, our time, our SELVES to FIRST.
What have we made first priority in our lives and hearts?
John tells us, “Little children, keep yourselves from idols- from everything and anything that would take 1st place in your life.”
Lisa Bevere says, “
An idol is what we give our strength TO or draw our strength from." She says "
God will always shake away those idols because He wants us to get our life from Him, not the things that will always disappoint.”
Idols can be things like money, or material possessions, shopping, exercise, our
outward appearance, food, alcohol, admiration of friends, praise of man, work,
TV, or even other relationships.
Now you may be confused because you have to work and you really like chocolate! I have a wonderful husband that I am head over heals about, and five beautiful children whom I love and I spend a lot of time scrapbooking at times.
Are these idols?
These things are not wrong or evil in or of themselves! It’s when we make them a priority over our relationship with God, when we start loving them above loving God. I love my kids, but I love my God even more!
What gets you out of bed in the morning?
What keeps you going through the day?
What are your thoughts on throughout the day?
What do find yourself thinking about and talking about?
You see, I am first grounded in a relationship with my Savior- head over heals in love with Him FIRST, and then, He spills so much love into my heart that it overflows into all these areas of my life.
Jesus teaches us in Mat. 6:24 that “no one can serve 2 masters.” It is impossible. Jesus says, “You will either hate the one or love the other. You will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
You cannot serve both God and work.
You cannot serve both God and food.
You cannot serve both God and the praise of man.
You cannot serve both God and shopping.
You cannot serve both God and anger.
You cannot serve both God and activities.
Father God, we love You! May You always take FIRST place in our hearts, minds, and time!
"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. " Matthew 7:13-14
